Which star occupied the position near the north celestial pole 12,000 years ago due to axial precession?
Answer
Vega.
The Earth's axis is subject to a long-term, slow oscillation known as precession, which causes the point in the sky the axis points toward to shift gradually over a very long cycle lasting about 26,000 years. This means that the star serving as the North Star changes over millennia. Twelve thousand years prior to the current epoch, the star Vega held this privileged position near the north celestial pole. Due to the continued wobble of the axis, Vega is expected to resume this role once again in approximately 13,000 years, highlighting that Polaris's proximity to the pole is temporary within the grand cosmic timescale.
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